Brag or Bitch About Your Grades

This post is your chance to tell everyone how well (or not so well) you did this semester. Don't be shy. I want to know how you did. I myself have some bragging and bitching to do.

So make a comment and let everything out! I am sure a lot of people with sympathize with any problems you had. And I do not mind listening to bragging as I have been known to do that myself.

Bookmark this post to follow the discussion.

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Free and Simple Weight Watchers Program

The Weight Watchers program is a diet plan that requires you to carefully record and control what you eat and how many points to allocate to each thing you eat. This program costs $40 to sign up and $22 each month, plus all of the necessary books and materials. But you get more support, resources and help.

If you want to try the program, or make it your own, there are some simple steps you can do that won't cost you anything. All it takes is a little dedication and willingness to track everything you eat. In the long run, it allows you to learn more about food, your body, organization, planning and self control. With some hard work you can actually lose weight.

Step 1: Calculate your recommended points for the day

ADD POINTS: You will add all of these point up to figure out how many weight watchers points you can have in a day.

ARE YOU?
Male - 8 pts
Female - 2 pts

HOW OLD ARE YOU?
17-26 - 4 pts
27-37 - 3 pts
38-47 - 2 pts
48-58 - 1 pt
over 58 - 0 pts

WHAT DO YOU WEIGH?
Use the first 2 digits of your weight - for example - if you weigh 145 then use 14 pts

HOW ACTIVE ARE YOU?
If you spend most of your day:
Sitting down - 0 pts
Occasionally sitting but mostly standing - 1 pt
Walking most of the time - 2 pts
Doing physical work most of the time - 3 pts

POINTS BANK:
You also get an extra 35 points during the week, which you can use all at once, or spread out over the week. (you can use these for drinking nights and eating out)
from ehow.com

Step 2: Set a goal

For a few days eat only as many points as recommended for your body. Then you can begin reducing your points to begin losing weight. For example, if you have 20 points you may wish to reduce it to 15.

Step 3: Calculate points. (Your points include anything you consume, including drinks)

CLICK HERE for a free points calculator. You only need to know the calories, grams of fat, and fibre.

If you don't know this informations, visit WebMD for a Food-O-Meter that can find the nutritional value of almost any food.

Step 4: Record your points

It is easiest to write everything in a notebook
1. Write the date
2. Write the time of each meal, snack, or drink
3. Write the total points of each meal, snack, or drink
4. Total the points for the day
5. If you have points left over at the end of the day, add them to your "Bank" of 35 points for the week. If you go over your goal, subtract them from your bank.

Tips:

• Pay attention to serving sizes
• Remember that all good diets include exercise
• Plan out healthy meals and snacks which actually allow you to eat more. Click Here for weight watchers recipes.
• Drinking water instead of soft drinks, juice, coffee, beer, etc. frees up a lot of points
• When grocery shopping switch to low fat/calorie products. It can make a big difference.
• Eat slowly and chew your food really well. This will give your body better digestion and time to tell you that you are full.

Good luck and feel free to ask me any questions. I'll do my best to find you an accurate and credible answer.

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Why do otters hold hands?

I saw this very cute video the other day. . .



Then I asked myself "Why are they holding hands?" So I did some research. I wanted to know if otters typically held hands and if there was a reason. I found my answer and history of the video from Vancouver Aquariam:

"Vancouver Aquarium sea otters, Nyac and Milo, were the stars on YouTube in 2007. A video showing the otters holding paws, a natural behaviour called "rafting", appeared on the Internet in March 2007. It has now been viewed over 11 million times by people all over the world. Aquarium visitor Cynthia Holmes, who was then a PhD student at the University of British Columbia, shot the video in 2002.

The tremendous response to Ms. Holmes's video on YouTube is a testament to the allure of sea otters. And that's good since they are a threatened species and need our help. Oil spills are one of the greatest threats to sea otters. Nyac, the blond, female otter in the video was a rare survivor of the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill.

Sadly on September 23, 2008, Nyac died of chronic lymphocytic leukemia at the ripe old age of 20. She was one of the last surviving sea otters of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. According to the Aquarium’s Staff Veterinarian, Dr. Martin Haulena, even in her death Nyac is a very important animal because “Lymphocytic leukemia has not been previously reported in sea otters and because there is some association with contact with petroleum in other species … she’ll continue to provide vital information on the long-term effects of oil exposure.”

We hope that people watching this video will be inspired to take action - by choosing to drive a fuel-efficient car, for example - to help protect sea otters for our grandchildren."

Rafting

"Although wild sea otters raft in areas without kelp, they will often tangle themselves in kelp to stay near kelp beds and will sometimes hold paws with other otters to form a raft. In B.C., sea otter rafts can consist of up to 150 resting individuals, but as this photo shows the rafts can be small too.

In Canada, disturbing sea otters in the wild is illegal. People must stay 100 m away. Watching female/pup rafts is likely very disruptive to them, according to sea otter expert Dr. Jane Watson.

"In fact the best place to get a good look at sea otters and their behaviour is at the Aquarium. Sea otters take to captivity well - the behaviours visitors see at the Aquarium, are the same sea otter behaviours you would see in the wild," she adds."

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Kenny vs Spenny: Real or Fake Friendship?

Kenny Vs Spenny is a Canadian show on Showcase on Fridays at 9:30pm. Two best friends battle each other through different competitions each season (tonight's competition is 'who can piss off more people?'). The loser must endure a humiliation chosen by the winner.

They live together in Toronto and claim to be really good friends. But watching the show you wonder how they can still remain friends after the torture they put each other through.

Actually, if you have seen the show you know that Kenny is the one that tortures Spenny. He cheats any way he can and will do anything to jeopardize Spenny's chance at winning.

Spenny approaches each competition by abiding by the rules and playing fairly. He works hard to try to win the competition legitimately. Yet Kenny wins more often.

Kenny will go to extremes to entertain his audience. He has slipped Spenny drugs such as laxatives and even acid. He has locked him in a closet for more than a day. He has mailed him a fake letter telling him he might have AIDS. And he ruined his relationship with a really nice girl.

So after all of that (and the frequent beatings) how do they manage to be friends? You probably have your own opinions but I have a few theories.

Firstly, one could argue that Kenny isn't really that mean to Spenny after all. In some instances you can see that Kenny cares about him. For example, when he locked him in a closet he felt guilty during his whole trip to Niagara Falls and came back early to let him out. So Kenny might have a heart. Is his behaviour just an act to entertain us? Maybe he doesn't like doing those things to Spenny.

Secondly, the whole show and their relationship could be fake. Maybe they are just actors and all of the competitions are set up.

I, personally, don't think the second theory is too likely. But I don't understand how they manage to still be friends. Spenny does not seem okay with how Kenny treats him. If they are friends now, it might not be long until one of them goes crazy. Do they think the show is worth risking their friendship?

What do you think? Is their relationship real? Do you think Spenny is mistreated, or "boys will be boys"?

Click the pic below to watch "Who can sell more bibles" (part one of three)

And visit their website if you have nothing better to do at kennyvsspenny.tv.

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Recommended Movie: The Princess Bride (1987)

The Princess Bride was one of my favourite movies as a kid and it still is. It is a love story that is also funny and adventurous. There are a lot of well known actors in it including Andre The Giant (a wrestler) and Billy Crystal. I have probably watched this movie dozens of times. If you have seen it, let me know what you think.



Plot Summary (IMDB)

A kindly grandfather sits down with his grandson and reads him a bedtime story. The story is one that has been passed down through from father to son for generations. As the grandfather reads the story, the action comes alive. The story is a classic tale of love and adventure as the beautiful Buttercup is kidnapped and held against her will in order to marry the odious Prince Humperdinck, and Westley (her childhood beau, now returned as the Dread Pirate Roberts) attempts to save her. On the way he meets an accomplished swordsman and a huge, super strong giant, both of whom become his companions in his quest. They meet a few bad guys along the way to rescue Buttercup.

Written by Afterburner

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Does texting make U mean?

Toronto Star

Apr 21, 2009 04:30 AM
Trish Crawford LIVING REPORTER

Professor Tim Blackmore has learned not to get upset at the messages his students send him.

"They sound like they're going to burn your door down," says Blackmore, who teaches media studies at the University of Western Ontario.

"They send messages that are both lazy and in the imperative – "Hey, u didn't tell me what was wrong with my paper.

"You think, that's some crust. But then they come into your office and they are crying. They are nice people. But their messages are surface, not about depth. They need to step back and get some context."

Is instant messaging, texting and tweeting making us mean?

This was the question swirling in the wake of a study that showed the brain needs eight seconds to register social pain or virtue and produce emotions of empathy, compassion or admiration.

In contrast physical pain, is recognized much quicker, almost instantly, says Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, a researcher who worked on the University of Southern California study.

While the USC study – released yesterday by the National Academy of Sciences in its Online Early Edition – did not look directly at instant messaging, Immordino-Yang says a link to the study's findings on delayed emotional reactions "is a very intriguing possibility."

"What it suggests is that we should think seriously" about the effect this has on instant messaging, she said in a phone interview, noting that her child, 7, sends her emails at work.

"A young child may not know the social implications of what they are doing and seeing (in rapid messaging). It is an open question and suggests the need for further research."

Our brains register the pain of others as if it were our own, says Immordino-Yang, with physical pain being "felt" in one part of the cerebral cortex and social pain being "felt" in another part.

People have these deep "gut feelings" for others' situations after years of exposure to books and stories and experiences, says Immordino-Yang, adding, "They give us deep, moral illumination."

But it takes time to ignite those feelings, the study says, leading to speculation that rapid-fire communication could just be too fast for the good feelings to kick in.

Blackmore doesn't think it's the fault of the brevity of the messages, especially Twitter, which allows only 140 characters per message.

It is context and thought that are missing, he feels, citing writer Ernest Hemingway's boast he could write a short story in six words, leading to the evocative sentence: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn."

Meanwhile, the Internet is full of Twitter posts encapsulating great works, such as the one for Homer's Odyssey that ends "Back home! Who r all these random dudes?"

Underlying such a tweet is the writer's grasp of one of the great works of literature, he says, which takes a very long time to read.

"It takes time to live life, it takes time to ponder it."

University of Toronto linguistics expert Maria Cristina Cuervo notes text messaging is no faster than talking and "speaking is very fast."

The fuss about instant messaging is reminiscent of the early furor created by the telephone, she says, when people fretted that it would ruin conversation because you couldn't see each other.

"People were still able to be empathetic over the phone," says Cuervo, adding the quality of all such exchanges, online or not, is set by the relationship between the people.

"The more you know a person," the better you are at grasping the emotions they are conveying in any form of messaging, she says.

And, as she points out, you can always add a smiley face

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Complete IKEA Dorm Room Under $500

Here are some products from Ikea.com that I pulled together for a very affordable and stylish dorm set. It includes almost everything you could need for your dorm room, from furniture to silverware and decorations. This set is all black and white but colour can easily be added with accessories and most items have different colour options. The most amazing part is that this set, of more than 30 items, is under $500!


I want to hear your opinion about this dormroom set so please let me know by posting a comment. I may create more sets in the future.

EIDE bedframe $69
DILLING bed storage box $14.99TOLGA bedside table $10 BILLY bookcase $69 ANEBODA 3 drawer chest $79

SKUBB organizer $6.99

HANNES computer desk $59

STEFAN chair $20 VANNA mirror $9.99HASTHOV bedspread $14.99

IKEA 365+ SÖMNIG Sheet $12.99

ERIKSLUND picture $9.99 FARM Vase $2.99 each SNÄRTIG artificial flower $2.99

MJÄLLBY scented candle in pot $1.50 each KNUBBIG table lamp $9.99

FLOKATA rug $39.99

LINGO box 2/pack $4.99

LERBERG CD/ DVD wall shelf $5.99 (2) TRIXA Alarm clock $2.99

FNISS Pen holder $0.79 (2)

BITS Magnetic board $9.99 SPONTAN Magnet $1.50 / 8 pack
FNISS Wastepaper basket $2.99 DIMPA Laundry bag $6.99 REKO Glasses $1.99 / 6 pack
BONUS 16-piece cutlery set $4.99 LUGN Bowl $0.75 (4)
LUGN Plate $0.75 (4)GRAND TOTAL = $489.39

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Best Place to Buy Furniture

College students are often on a very tight budget, as am I. For the past three years I have been trying to break free from my parents house and find a place of my own. But I just haven't been able to save enough money. Now my plan is to move out before the fall semester starts or a year later when I graduate.

Over the years I have bought many household items in preparation for moving out on my own. I have almost everything I need: dishes, silverware, pots and pans, kitchen towels, scissors, tuperware, toaster, spatuals and such, a small sofa, a microwave, etc. I got most of these things from Walmart and some from the dollar store. I bought the expensive items when they were on sale and I saved a lot of money. I recommend this to anybody that is planning to move out of their parent's home or dorm within the next few years. Just look at flyers and watch for good sales. It can be kind of fun if you're obsessive like me!

Next I need to think about furniture. Every year I get the Ikea catalogue and read through every page twice and write down everything I like that fits my budget. I think it is a really great store for students moving out on their own. It has more selection and style then Walmart's furniture. And what I really like is that there are so many levels and options for budgets. You can go really cheap or expensive. That way you can buy something cheap to start and upgrade as you have more money.

You should consider Ikea for your furniture and decorating needs. If you do not have the catalogue you can visit their website (Ikea.com). Just remember, often you get what you pay for. Some items you may wish to spend a little more for more quality and durablility (bedframe for example). Also be careful to read the details of the product to make sure you are getting everything you expect (headboard with the bedframe for example).

Here are some things I think are great and available at a great price.

SMEDTSA Swivel Chair $50

KLOBO loveseat $199

BILLY bookcase $69

LACK coffee table $29.99

MORKER table lamp $6.99

AGNARYD picture $8.99

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Corner Gas Ends

The last show of Corner Gas has aired. It' so said when a good TV show series ends. I only recently starting watching the show but I really like it. Now, too soon, it is leaving. Does anyone else watch the show? Is there any other show you've had to say goodbye to?

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Reverage

Rev is a great drink for parties. I drink it all of the time. It is a blue cooler with cola, vodka, and guarana. According to the ingredients there is vanilla, cherry, pineapple, and raspberry flavours. But they are hard to distinguish. They come in 4packs and recently in single, jumbo bottles. This is my favourite store-bought drink. I have had hundreds of them in the past few years. Luckily, you get your ten cent deposit back!

You can check out the website, Reverage.com, it sucks. But you have to try the drink.

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Worst Easter Candy

As promised I have found an interesting article from WebMD. Easter is this Sunday and this article breaks down the nutritional information of many different candies.

I don't mean to ruin candy. I know tomorrow I am stocking up on Cadbury Eggs before they're gone!

Read Best to Worst Easter Basket Treats

"Pick your Easter basket poison. Are you partial to the marshmallow or peanut butter eggs or the milk chocolate bunnies...or, are you a Peeps person? What's the best way to approach your Easter basket, knowing you're going to indulge to some extent?" . . .

Happy Easter!

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A Great Health Website

WebMD is a great website that has a lot of resources for anything health related. I'm not sure how reliable it is but it does seem professional. I love that there a short videos for almost every topic. The articles are so easy to understand and there are a lot of great tips. When I go on the site there are so many interesting featured articles that I want to read them all!

You should definitely check it out. I will post some of my favourites once I have some time to visit the site again.

Here is one to start. Click the picture below to read very short explanations of "Weird Body Quirks: From Brain Freeze to Hiccupping".

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Bottled Water

There is a lot of contraversy going on about bottled water. Some people say "What's wrong with tap water?" and others say "Oh, Dasani is so gross, I prefer Aquafina".

I drink bottle water because I'm afraid of tap water, even though I use it for cooking. I think all of the hype about tap water being filled with harsh chemicals, germs, and diseases has freaked me out. If I run out of bottled water I will fill the bottles up with water from the fridge, but it has needed a new filter for like a year now. And for some reason I am okay drinking that water instead (but only if there is one of those flavour packets in it). As for brands, I dont care what it is as long as its on sale. Accept now people are saying the plastic bottles are bad for the enviroment. Click the picture above to learn more about bottled water.

What do you think about bottled water?

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